Pocky Secures 3D Trademark

TOKYO, Aug 08 (News On Japan) - The iconic stick-shaped chocolate snack Pocky has been officially registered as a three-dimensional trademark, marking a major milestone for manufacturer Ezaki Glico.

The snack—chocolate-coated pretzel sticks instantly recognizable by shape and color—has been a beloved treat for nearly 60 years and is popular worldwide.

Ezaki Glico announced that the product’s shape has now been granted 3D trademark status, a goal the company had long pursued.

A three-dimensional trademark is a legal designation that protects the distinct shape or appearance of a product. According to trademark experts, similar protections have been granted to products like Meiji’s Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato, as well as the shape of Yakult containers and character figures such as Colonel Sanders or the Kuidaore doll.

Securing this status is no easy task. It requires the applicant to submit extensive documentation to prove that the shape is widely recognized by consumers and strongly associated with the product.

Kenta Sunaoshi, a legal affairs representative at Ezaki Glico and central figure in the company’s trademark project, described the intense effort involved. "The biggest challenge was how to prove the recognizability of Pocky’s shape. We gathered an enormous amount of supporting evidence—so much that it couldn’t even fit in our internal database."

To demonstrate public recognition, the company conducted an online survey of over 1,000 respondents to see if they could identify Pocky by shape alone. Over 90% answered correctly, giving the company confidence they would succeed in the registration process.

The campaign took nearly three years of steady research and preparation. On July 25th, the shape of Pocky was finally registered as a three-dimensional trademark.

Sunaoshi, reflecting on the achievement, said, "It was a long road and there were high expectations from within the company. I believed in the strength of the Pocky brand and pushed forward. Even my mother messaged me after seeing the news, saying she was proud. I’m really glad I stayed the course."

Source: TBS

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